STAND. COM. REP. NO. 375

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1148

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1148 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE OFFENDER REENTRY SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify various provisions of the comprehensive offender reentry system, including the requirement of written reentry plans.

     This measure also:

     (1)  Continues the quarterly rotation system for Hawaii inmates in out-of-state prisons and establishes a limit on the maximum number of Hawaii inmates housed in out‑of-state prisons, which shall be fulfilled by January 1, 2010;

     (2)  Requires Department of Public Safety to promote research regarding children with incarcerated parents;

     (3)  Establishes a Reentry Commission on January 1, 2010; and

     (4)  Sunsets the Legislative Oversight Committee established to oversee the Department of Public Safety on January 1, 2010.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one state agency, four private organizations, and two individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that a comprehensive offender reentry system lowers the State's cost of incarcerating an offender and decreases the offender's rate of recidivism upon their release.  Your Committee also finds that requiring a comprehensive offender reentry plan be detailed in writing increases the likelihood of success for the offender to take a meaningful role in society upon release.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring a comprehensive written reentry plan to be completed within ninety days of the offender's sentencing by the court, rather than from the offender's conviction;

     (2)  Specifying that by December 31, 2010, the maximum number of Hawaii inmates who are housed in out-of-state prisons shall not exceed 2,000; and

     (3)  Amending the termination date for the Legislative Oversight Committee to July 1, 2009.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1148, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1148, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair